Oneupweb Celebrates 10 Years in Traverse City

(TRAVERSE CITY, MI) – In 2000 JT was still singing his heart away with ‘N Sync, Y2K mania had come and gone, Bush defeated Gore and Mel Gibson showed us What Women Want. It was an exciting year, one full of trepidation for Lisa Wehr. Because it was that year that she chose to pack her bags and move thousands of miles away from her home in Alaska to start an online marketing company in Traverse City.

A decade later, she has never looked back.

“If you would have told me that in a 10-year span I would go from racing sled dogs in Alaska to running one of the nation’s top digital marketing firms, I would have told you that you were crazy,” laughs Wehr, Oneupweb’s Founder and CEO.

But that’s exactly what happened.

In 2000, Oneupweb setup shop in a small office in Traverse City. At the time they boasted seven employees. That number quickly grew, requiring the digital marketing company to move five times. The last move in 2007 was to a 30,000 square foot office on South West Bayshore Drive. The company still resides there today with 43 employees. And in true Oneupweb style, they have more new positions they are hoping to fill.

“When you’re in all of it, doing it, it doesn’t seem like that much. You get up, go to work, work hard, and at the end of the day hope that your best is good enough to keep the company alive,” says Wehr. “But when I stop and think about it all, I’m shocked. I can’t help but wonder, did we really do all that?”

So what is she referring to? In the span of 10 years, Wehr and Oneupweb have highlights that include:

• Named to BtoB’s Who’s Who for six consecutive years for being a key thought leader in the search marketing industry.
• Named a top search marketing agency in the world three times by AdAge.
• Created two of the nation’s leading proprietary analytics tools.
• Featured as a thought-leader in more than 400 articles.
• Honored with numerous industry awards including ADDYs, Tellys, Communicator Awards and a BMA Sledgehammer.
• Named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
• Completed a 5-day tour of the state offering their services for free to any business that needed it.
• And a lot more.

But none of that really matters to Wehr.

“At the end of the day, I want to know that I’ve made my clients happy and have a great group of people around me that I can rely on,” she says. “I want to live in a place where I can work hard, play hard, continue to grow my company and make a difference in the community.”

And with the kind of success under her belt that some entrepreneurs only dream of, it’s safe to say that she has done just that, and will continue to do so. When asked what her goals for the next 10 years are, Wehr doesn’t hesitate in answering.

“I want to stay with Oneupweb, guiding the company through an ever-changing industry, and growing as a result. It’s something I’m committed to doing right here in Traverse City.”

Wehr explains that she wants to give back to the community that has given so much to her. And one of the best ways she can do that is to continue to invest and evolve, expanding Oneupweb’s national client base and, as a result, creating more jobs that she hopes to fill with local talent.

She also plans to bring those national clients to Traverse City, giving them a taste of why she loves living in Northern Michigan.

“This summer we will hold our first client summit in the region we’re so proud to call our home,” says Wehr. “It’s the perfect place, with the beaches in the summer, great activities and even better people. We love living here, and we’re anxious to show our clients why.”

To view Oneupweb’s 10-year timeline, please visit OneUpWeb.com.

About Oneupweb
Oneupweb has been an innovator in digital marketing for more than a decade, creating integrated online marketing plans that incorporate natural search engine optimization (SEO), paid search marketing (PPC), social media marketing, digital pr, display advertising, analytics, creative services, mobile marketing, website design, web 2.0 technology, audio/video/podcasting, and research, training and consultation. Heralded by an independent research firm for their leadership team, Midwestern work ethic and solid experience in optimizing complicated sites, Oneupweb has been named a Top 20 Search Marketing Agency by Advertising Age for three consecutive years, and CEO Lisa Wehr is recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. The company publishes an award-winning blog entitled StraightUpSearch, and an award-winning monthly newsletter entitled OneUp Low-Down. Oneupweb is a privately held company located in Traverse City, Michigan. For more information on Oneupweb, please call 231.922.9977, visit OneUpWeb.com or follow them on Twitter @Oneupweb and @LisaWehr.